July 24, 2024

Acting Like The Expert You Are

Hourly billing isn’t a way to control scope creep.

It actually CREATES scope creep.

Here’s how:

Hourly billing allows you to get started working on your client’s project without knowing what their desired business outcome is.

It’s like shooting free throws with a blindfold on.

Sure, you MIGHT hit a shot, but it’s probably going to take a lot more throws than if you could see the hoop.

So what happens all too often is this:

You burn through their budget, and the client isn’t happy because what they told you to build was the wrong thing.

This puts them in a horrible situation:

  1. Kill the project and eat the sunk cost, or
  2. Continue spending and hope that it doesn’t take TOO much longer.

Sunk cost being what it is, they usually choose 2, and the relationship degrades quickly. The longer things take, the worse it gets.

Is this situation the client’s fault?

Maybe. You only did what they told you to do.

But aren’t YOU supposed to be the expert?

Yours,

—J

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